Treatment of yarns, fabrics, films, and the like



Patented Sept. 1, 1931 I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY DREYFUS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND TREATMENT OF YARNS, FABRICS, FILMS AN D THE LIKE No'Drawing. Application filed January 19, 1927, Serial No. 162,215, and in Great Britain May 26, 192 6.

This invention relate primarily to yarns filaments of cellulose acetate or other of the or threads, or woven, itted, or other texaforesaid substitution derivatives of cellutile fabrics or other materials made of'or lose is also improved. containing artificial filaments or fibres of The fact that goods composed of cellulose cellulose acetate or other carboxylic acid acetate or other of the aforesaid organic 55 esters of cellulose, for example, cellulose substitution derivatives of cellulose can be formate, butyrate or propionate, or celluloaded in the same way as natural silk is lose esters, I for example, methyl, ethyl or of a somewhat surprising character in view benzyl cellulose, or the corresponding 0011- of the well-known water-resisting proper- 19 densation products of cellulose and glycols ties of these goods, and the difiiculties en- 60 or other polyhydric alcohols, all of which countered in dyeing the same, but is no are hereinafter referred to as organic subdoubt closely associated with the swelling stitution derivitives of cellulose. The invenaction which aqueous solutions of the tion also relates to ribbons, films or similar agentstannin, stannic chloride, etc-emproducts made of the aforesaid organic subployed for loading, or for the first stage stitution derivatives of cellulose. of the loading operation, exert upon cellu- It has recently been found that the aforelose acetate and similar artificial silks. mentioned classes of textile and other goods It has now been discovered that the range made from or containing the aforesaid orof loading agents that can be used and the 20 ganic substitution derivatives of cellulose, amount of loading effected in a single operand especially cellulose acetate, can be subation can be greatly extended if the goods jected to a loading or weighting operation, are treated either initially or before or durof the kind adopted for loading or weighting or both before and during any stage ing natural silk, without detriment to the of the loading operation with agents, for permanence, strength orlustre of the goods example, aqueous swelling solutions for celand' with marked advantage to certain of lulose acetate or other of the aforesaid ortheir other physical characteristics. ganic substitution derivatives of cellulose, Thus the tendency of woven fabrics made that impart to the filaments, films or like of yarns of cellulose acetate or other of the elementary structures whereof the goods are aforesaid organic substitution derivatives of wholly or in part constituted a capacity or cellulose to slip, that is to sa for the yarns an increased capacity for absorbing the to become displaced in the abric, the tenagents employed in loading. dency of circular knitted fabrics to lad- More particularly, it has been found that der, and the tendency of warp knitted the use of aqueous swelling-solutions confabrics to splitare all considerably retaining solvents or swelling agents for celduced and may even be practically elimlulose acetate or other of the aforesaid o-rinated. ganic substitution derivatives of cellulose The loaded goods can also be subjected to give rise to a very considerable increase in higher temperature than the unloaded goods the amount of loading that can be effected 0 without .melting or becoming sufliciently in a single operation or cycle of operations. plastic, to endanger their characteristic Especially advantageous results have been form or structure, so that for example, the attained by the use of aqueous solutions of possibility of damaging' cellulose acetate organic hydroxy compounds such as glycoland like fabric .through using too hot an 110 ac1d,lact1c ac1d, ethyl alcohol, dlacetone 4 iron in ironing is lessened. The flammabilalcohol, diacetine, phenol, hydroquinone or ity of cellulose acetate or other goods of the other water soluble phenols or polyhydric classes previously specified, is likewise re phenols or acetone,-or other water soluble duced. The fullness or volume of yarns or organic solvents or swelling agents for the threads or woven, knitted, or other textile cellulose acetate or other cellulose'derivafabrics made from or containing artificial tive, 0r mlxturesthere f- In some cases, aqueous solutions of thiocyanates, particularly ammonium thiocya nate, or other salts acting as swelling agents may be employed; aqueous solutions containing mixtures of such salts together or with. organic solvents or swelling agents may also be used.

It is to be understood that the solvent or swelling agent employed must not be used in such concentration or under such con ditions as to dissolve the filaments, films or other elementary structures of cellulose acetate etc., or to endanger their characteristic form or structure or to damage their permanence, strength, lustre or other characteristics.

The loading may be effected by treatment with any loading agent that is capable of being absorbed by the filaments, films, etc. after they have been treated with solutions of solvents or swelling agents in accordance with the im'ention. Thus, the goods may be loaded with insoluble compounds or salts such as tannates, phosphates or silicates by two stage processes involving the use or application of an aqueous solution of a chloride or other soluble salt of a metal for example, tin, zinc, aluminum, bismuth. tungsten, antimony etc. preceded or followed by a solution of tannic acid, a phosphate, silicate or other precipitant for the metal.

The treatment with an aquaeous solution of a solvent or swelling agent is usually applied before the loading operation proper, and may also with advantage be applied before each stage of the loading operation, or, when the cycle of loading operations is repeated, before each cycle or each stage of each cycle. Alternatively the solvent or swelling agent may be incorporated with each or all of the aqueous solutions used for loading. When one of the loading solutions used is itself a swelling solution, and particularly when it is a powerful swelling solution, the preliminary .or simultaneous use pf a nonloading solvent or swelling agent at that' stage of the loading operation may be-omitted.

The manner in which the invention can be carried into effect is described in the following examples, which are illustrative but not limitative in character.

Example 1 Woven or knitted fabric made from cellulose acetate artificial silk is soaked in a 710% solution of acetone for l hour. The fabric is then steeped in a stannic chloride solution of 4=550 Tw. for half an hour and thoroughly rinsed. The fabric is again soaked in a 740% solution of acetone for about hour, and is then treated in a solution of disodium phosphate of 4-6 Tw. at 4O C. for hour. The goods are afterwards rinsed and washed.

Example 2 Cellulose acetate fabrics or yarns are im mersed in a 50% solution of alcohol, or a 15420); solution of diacetone alcohol, for about hour, and are then loaded with stannic chloride and disodium phosphate under similar conditions to those given in Example '1, with or without an intermediate treatment with aswelling solution, usually that employed for the initial treatment.

Cellulose acetate fabrics are steeped in a 10-12% solution of ammonium thiocyanate preparatory to loading by successive treatment with a stannic chloride solution of 40 Tw. and a sodium silicate solution of 7 Tw. The goods are thoroughly rinsed after each treatment.

The goods may with advantage be washed in a soap solution after the loading operation is completed.

The amount of the loading depends upon a number of factors; of these, themost important is the extent to which the treatment with a swelling solution is adopted, the gr atcst effect being obtained when tluygoods are. subjected to the action of a swelling solution before or during each stage of the loading operation. In general, an increased loading effect is obtained by the. use of higher concentrations, whether of swelling or loading agents, or by prolonged treatment at each or any stage, while repetition of the cycle. of operations leads to a very considerable improvement in the loading.

Care should however be taken not to use such concentrations, temperatures, swelling solutions, or other conditions or agents,or to subject the goods to so many repetitions of the loading process,as to produce tendering or loss of lustre or other undesirable effects goods.

The process forming the present invention may be applied to goods that are coniposed wholly of cellulose acetate or other of the aforementioned substitution derivatives of cellulose, or to mixed goods, for example, mixcd fabrics containing yarns of wool, cotton, natural silk, artificial silk of on the character or quality of the the cellulose type, etc., or containing yarns composed of artificial filaments of cellulose acetate or other of the aforesaid organic substitution derivatives of cellulose doubled or associated with natural fibres, artificial silks of the cellulose type etc.

The. invention also includes the loaded or weighted fabrics or other goods produced in accordance. with the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Process for treating material comprising artificial filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose, comprising subjecting the material to the action of a swelling a ent comprising diacetone alcohol and 10a ing the material by fixing an insoluble metallic compound therein. a

2. Process for treating material comprising artificial filaments of organic deriva- 4. Process for treating materials comprisv ing artificial filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose, comprising subjecting thematerial to theaction of a swelling agent comprising diacetone alcohol and thereafter loading the material by fixing an'insoluble compound of a heavy metal therein.

5. Process for loading materials comprising artificial filaments of organic derivatives of cellulose, comprising treating the material with a swelling agent comprising diacetone alcohol and with a solution of a salt of a heavy metal, again treating the material with a swelling agent, and thereafter fixing the heavy metal in the material as an insoluble compound.

6. Process for loading 'materials comprising artificial filaments of cellulose acetate, comprising treating the material with a swelling agent containing diacetone alcohol and with a solution of a salt of a heavy metal, again treating the material with a swelling agent comprising an organic hydroxy compound, and thereafter heavy metal in the material as an insoluble compound.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY DREYFUS.

xing the CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,821,464. Granted September 1, 1931, to

HENRY DREYFUS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 41 and 42, clai 6, strike out "an organic hydroxy compound" and insert instead diacetone alcohol; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent 0ffice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of October, A.. D. 1931.

- M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

